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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26672869">Living Forever Doesn't Mean Living Alone</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/You_Are_Constance/pseuds/You_Are_Constance'>You_Are_Constance</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Hadestown - Mitchell, The Clockmaker's Daughter - Webborn/Finn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>After the events of Clockwork, Crossover, F/M, I mean, Kind of a modern AU, but it also could be canon compliant, i might add more characters as it goes on, it's after the events of canon, so who's to say it's not canon??</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 13:01:16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,694</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26672869</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/You_Are_Constance/pseuds/You_Are_Constance</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Many years had passed since Spindlewood's greatest tradition began. The Turning of the Key. The Storyteller led yet another unsuccessful attempt at bringing the Clockmaker's Daughter back, but this year was different.<br/>This year, there were visitors. Strange, suspicious visitors, who know far too much.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Eurydice/Orpheus (Hadestown), Hades/Persephone (Hadestown), Minor or Background Relationship(s), William Riley/Constance Reed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Visitors to Spindlewood</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I wanted to do a crossover between different immortal characters in theatre. These were my favorite ones that I could think of.<br/>also the title is really bad but the word doc was literally called "Immortal Characters in Broadway" so at least it's an upgrade.<br/>I've never written any Hadestown characters and I didn't really want to focus on them, so hopefully it's alright!<br/>Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or the settings</p>
    </blockquote><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>After another unsuccessful year of The Turning of the Key, The Storyteller is approached by a couple of strange visitors, who are asking far too many questions.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Visitors had come to Spindlewood. That wasn't strange in itself, the strange part was that they had come on the last day of winter. As if they knew.</p><p>It was a man and a woman. The man had white hair and a muscular build, the woman long, slightly red hair with flowers entwined. The Storyteller greeted them.</p><p>The man had a firm grip. The woman a sly smile. The Storyteller didn't often feel unsettled, but these people were causing him to feel unsettled. For the first time in years.</p><p>Neither gave names, but they said they were husband and wife. The Storyteller had guessed that, based on how they acted toward one another.</p><p>The woman's bright green dress looked natural amid the first blossoms of spring, her eyes seeming to echo the same feeling as the freshness of the springtime air.</p><p>The man's dark suit stood out against the blooming flowers, his stark white hair just as much of a contrast. His eyes were full of fire, but the strangest thing about his appearance was the trail of bricks along his left forearm.</p><p>They were silent during the whole ceremony. The Storyteller kept the two strangers in his line of sight as he told the story again.</p><p>"Ah, well, folks!" he exclaimed when the turning of the key had failed to work again. "Maybe next year!" He took the key back from that year's lucky person, stuffing it into his pocket as he watched the town file away back to their homes.</p><p>He could feel a presence looming over him.</p><p>A low voice spoke.</p><p>"New to this, aren't you, son?"</p><p>The Storyteller slowly turned around to face the man towering over him and the woman at his side. "New to what?"</p><p>"Don't play stupid with me, boy."</p><p>"We know you aren't who you pretend to be," the woman added.</p><p>"I don't know what you imply," The Storyteller replied calmly. "This is no façade, I am The Storyteller."</p><p>"Answer me this one question. How old are you?"</p><p>The Storyteller crossed his arms over his chest. "Why should I trust you with my age if you do not trust me with your names?"</p><p>The man didn't respond, but the woman reached out her hand. "Persephone and this is Hades."</p><p>The Storyteller took her hand, shaking it.</p><p>Hades asked again, "How old are you?"</p><p>"That is not a socially acceptable question around here, maybe where you came from, but in Spindlewood, it certainly is not."</p><p>"Just answer the question, please," Persephone urged.</p><p>"If you insist. I am twenty-two years of age. Does that satisfy you?"</p><p>Persephone sighed. "We had really hoped that you would answer truthfully."</p><p>"I did," The Storyteller said. "I have not yet lied to you."</p><p>"Then why, pray tell, are there records of you dating back to over a hundred years ago?" Hades objected.</p><p>The Storyteller took a step backward. "I don't know where you came from, but Spindlewood is not the place you are searching for. Nothing strange has ever happened since the beginning of the tradition you just witnessed."</p><p>"The Turning of the Key is what you call it, am I correct?" Hades wondered, stepping closer to the statue in the center of the square. "Quite an interesting story that you told. And how long has this tradition of yours been going on?"</p><p>"Over a century," The Storyteller replied. "It's one of Spindlewood's newer traditions."</p><p>"And why are you, a man of twenty-two years, you say, The Storyteller?" Hades asked, his calculating gaze focused on the frozen girl in the square.</p><p>He fumbled. "My… grandfather was alive at the time. Great-grandfather, I mean."</p><p>"Ahh, I see." Hades continued to stare at the statue. The Storyteller was feeling more uncomfortable by the moment. "And her. You say the town killed her but then decided to try to bring her back." He put his finger beneath her chin, lifting her head.</p><p>"Get away from her!" The Storyteller exclaimed, pushing Hades away and blocking the statue.</p><p>"Is there something you'd like to tell us?" Persephone askes, raising an eyebrow.</p><p>The Storyteller shook his head. "It is not right for strangers to touch her, she is real, you know, and she would not appreciate strangers touching her."</p><p>"Then why do your people take turns with the tradition of yours?"</p><p>Thankfully, The Storyteller had a simple answer for that.</p><p>"Each person who wishes a turn has to go through me to be allowed to. I make sure that only those who would care for her get a chance to wind her."</p><p>"But you care for her more than any other, don't you, son?" Hades asked.</p><p>"Why do you ask?"</p><p>Hades stepped closer to The Storyteller. "Because we know who you are. We know you aren't 'twenty-two years of age.' Tell us the truth, and we won't reveal it."</p><p>"Who are you two to come into Spindlewood, intrude on a tradition, and then threaten me? You are strangers here. The people trust me more than they would trust any stranger."</p><p>"But do they trust you? Truly?" Persephone challenged.</p><p>The Storyteller nodded. "Why shouldn't they?"</p><p>"Because you are not just a mysterious man who only appears every year for your tradition. You are not like them, and we both know it," Hades answered.</p><p>"Would you like to tell us who you really are?" Persephone invited.</p><p>The Storyteller's shoulders slumped. He'd been caught.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I've written most of this out so the next update should be soon!<br/>(Please don't swear in comments)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The Storyteller</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The Storyteller had been caught in a lie by the two strange visitors. Now he had no choice, except to reveal his true identity.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Storyteller wished he could find a way out of this, but he’d been cornered. He had to share who he really was now.</p><p>"My name is William Riley," he sighed in defeat. "And this year is the one hundred and twenty-ninth year I’ve been here."</p><p>"Then you are indeed new to this," Hades said in surprise.</p><p>"New to what?" Will snapped.</p><p>"Being immortal," Persephone answered.</p><p>Will took a step back. "You… you're immortal?"</p><p>"Son, we're just about as immortal as they come. We have been around almost since the world was created. My wife is the reason you even have changes in the seasons."</p><p>"Speaking of," Persephone interrupted. "It's time, Hades."</p><p>Will watched as Hades kissed his wife's hand then she walked away. Hades turned back to Will.</p><p>"So are you like, gods, or something?"</p><p>Hades nodded. "That's exactly what we are. My wife changes the seasons by where she is. Fall and Winter she lives with me, Spring and Summer she is with her mother.” His voice became softer. “I know what you feel when your love is away from you. It's like nothing in the world is right until she is in your arms again."</p><p>"No, you don't know what I feel,” Will said harshly. “I never got to hold her before she became like this, want to know why? My own mother shot me for loving her. Then my mother shot her for being alive! Constance was already like this when I was brought back. Maybe you've been away from your wife for longer than I have, but you have never been away from her for a continued time as much as I have. And you never will. Don't try telling me that you understand."</p><p>"Then I won't," Hades decided. "How long did she live?"<br/>

Will glanced back at the statue of his one true love, still frozen in time.</p><p>"Less than six months."<br/>

Hades stepped back in surprise. "So short.”</p><p>"Constance was never anything but what you see before you. She was built looking like this, and this is what she'll look like for all of eternity. She was born as clockwork, and that's how she'll stay."</p><p>"But you were not, if I’m correct."</p><p>Will shook his head. "No, I used to be a normal person like anyone else was. I lived twenty-two years as a normal human being until I was killed, but then I was brought back like clockwork, like Constance. I didn't lie to you when I said I was twenty-two. That's my age, it's just not how long I've lived."</p><p>After a long time, Hades spoke again. "You can take off the costume. I will not be divulging your secret."</p><p>Will tore off the mask, holding it in his hands and taking the hood off as well.</p><p>"What was she like? Your love, before she became like this?"</p><p>Will smiled with the memory. "She was… amazing. Constance was so kind, the first time she had ever come outside she accidentally ran into Amelia, a girl in town who was just coming back after picking up her wedding dress. This was like, a week before the wedding. Amelia had dropped her dress into the mud, ruining it, and later that night, Constance came and left an even better one on Amelia's doorstep. That was when I actually met her. She never stopped doing good things for people. She was just so… good, and the town turned on her. My Ma was the worst of them all. She saw Constance as a competition, even wanting me to bring her down. That didn't turn out too well for either of us,” he said bitterly. “Before I met Constance, I had always wanted to leave Spindlewood. It felt like a prison to me. After we all discovered Constance's secret, I was convinced to leave with her, to run away. That didn't work, obviously, and now I don't even want to leave unless it's with her."</p><p>Hades waited for a moment to see if he would continue. When he didn't, Hades said, "I may not understand your exact pain, but I think I could understand better than any other. I understand the changes you feel when you fall in love. I understand how you never want to be away from them, how you don't want to do anything or go anywhere without them at your side. I understand that feeling."</p><p>"Do you think she'll come back?" Will asked. He had hope that she would. He knew it was possible, but he didn't know if she actually would. This question was one he was always afraid to ask. No one else believed that she would, at least, no one else that was still alive.</p><p>Hades sighed, sitting beside Will beneath Constance. "It is not my place to tell you what to believe. What I believe is that she would come back right now if she could. Something is stopping her, whatever it may be."</p><p>Will nodded, glancing up again at Constance's frozen body. Hades eventually left, handing Will a slip of paper that he didn't look at, just slipping it into his pocket.</p><p>Will spent the whole night talking to Constance. He had to wind himself once and he only left when it was drawing close to dawn and the square would start to be busy again. He started towards the manor on the edge of Spindlewood. He had moved in when Abraham Reed had died.</p><p>Written on the paper was a way to contact Hades and Persephone. They had said that living for so long, watching people live and die became difficult. They had told Will to contact them if he ever needed someone to talk to, someone that would understand.</p><p>Hades and Persephone visited every decade or so for The Turning of the Key. Will would talk with Hades for hours after the town left. Persephone would sometimes drop in during the spring or summer months. Will quickly became close with them.</p><p>That was when the voices began.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Voices</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Will begins to hear voices in his head, whispering doubts. This wouldn't be a problem, except that he was starting to believe them.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This one's really short, but as I've said before, I've written most of this out, so it shouldn't be too long before the next chapter is posted!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Strange voices filled his mind. Doubts whispering into his head. It wasn’t odd for him to have doubts. He’d had plenty before, but never this terrible. Never this many.</p><p>After another non-successful year, this one Hades and Persephone hadn't come to see, Will was talking to Constance through the night and he heard a voice whisper in his mind.</p><p>
  <em>She's not coming back.</em>
</p><p>That wasn't the first time that Will had doubts. He pushed those thoughts away, choosing to focus instead on what happens if—when Constance came back. Because she would. Eventually.</p><p>
  <em>She would already be back if she cared.</em>
</p><p>Will refused to believe that was true. Something was holding Constance back. That was why she hadn't returned. Something was keeping her from being with him.</p><p>
  <em>She doesn't want you.</em>
</p><p>Yes, she does.</p><p>
  <em>You're waiting for something that will never come.</em>
</p><p>It will come. She’ll come back. Will knew she would.</p><p>He didn't know where all these new doubts were coming from, but he refused to believe them. Constance was going to come back, and Will would be waiting for however long it took.</p><p>Even if it took another hundred years. Which it could. Very likely.</p><p>One whisper, one doubt rang deeper than all the others.</p><p>
  <em>If she really loved you, why hasn't she come back?</em>
</p><p>It wasn't by her own decision. She would have returned if she had been able to. Constance was being held back, that something was stopping her. She would come back at any moment if she could.</p><p>Right?</p><p>The doubts only got worse as years went by. Will started to doubt if Constance even loved him to begin with.</p><p>But he was still waiting. He was still waiting for that day when Constance would come back.</p><p>Hades and Persephone came for that year's Turning of the Key. It had been over fifty years since they had first come.</p><p>It was another unsuccessful year. Will clutched the key tightly in his hand as he watched the town file away. It was nearly time for him to be wound, else he would stop.</p><p>"Why hasn't she come back?" he asked quietly, not facing Hades and Persephone.</p><p>"Son—" Hades began, but Will interrupted him. He didn't want to be comforted. He wanted answers.</p><p>"Why hasn't she come back?” Will spun around. “Why do we keep trying to wind her when we know it won't work?" He looked at the key clutched in his hand. The key that was the only thing keeping him from being frozen just as Constance was. Without a second thought, he threw the key down at the ground in front of Hades's feet. "Wind me again when Constance comes back," he said decidedly.</p><p>"You don't want to do this," Hades warned him, but Will had decided. He stood up beside Constance, gently pulling her arms down and holding her hands in his. He looked back at Hades.</p><p>"Yes, I do."</p><p>He looked back at Constance as he felt his time running out.</p><p>Then he stopped. He froze, like a clock. Just as Constance had been for all those years.</p><p>And he didn’t regret it.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. A Decision</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Persephone and Hades wonder what they should do after Will decides to let himself freeze.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm truly sorry.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Persephone picked up the key, using the sash on her dress to clean off the dirt.</p><p>"Hades, what should we do?"</p><p>Hades stared at the boy who has just willingly frozen himself because he couldn't handle waiting any longer.</p><p>"I knew this would happen," he mumbled, not turning his gaze away. "I knew as soon as we spoke to him that those fates would interfere, as they always do. We should never have come."</p><p>"What should we do now?" Persephone asked. "We can't just let the boy stay frozen. The town will not know how to behave. They'll never wind her again. They'll both be stopped, forever."</p><p>Hades didn't respond.</p><p>Persephone waited, but he didn't say anything.</p><p>She impatiently handed him the key, saying, "Well, until you decide what to do, I'm going to get a drink."</p><p>She started out, but then Hades finally responded.</p><p>"We have to bring the girl back,"</p><p>Persephone turned around. "Hades, are you sure? We always said that we couldn't interfere with anyone but the boy."</p><p>"But now we must," Hades said solemnly. He glanced down at the key that Persephone handed to him, walking closer to the frozen figures in front of them. He transported the key to his other hand, reaching out for Persephone, who accepted his offered hand.</p><p>Together, they had always had the power to revive the girl, but they had agreed before they had even come into the town that they should never. It was not their place to interfere. Now, though, they didn't have much of a choice. It was either bring back the girl or watch as they were both frozen, trapped forever in time.</p><p>Persephone laid her hand on the girl's shoulder as Hades wound her.</p><p>After three turns of the key, the girl began to move, losing her balance and falling backward. Hades managed to catch her, helping her back to her feet.</p><p>She looked quite shaken, looking around frantically. "W-where am I? Who are you? What's going on?"</p><p>Persephone took her hands, saying, "My name's Persephone, and this is my husband, Hades. You're still in Spindlewood, and you've just been woken from being frozen for a very long time."</p><p>"H-how long?"</p><p>Persephone glanced at her husband, who motioned for her to tell.</p><p>"Over a hundred fifty years," Persephone answered softly.</p><p>The girl—Constance, Persephone had to keep reminding herself—didn't seem to react very strongly to that. She simply asked:</p><p>"How long do… people live?"</p><p>Persephone held Constance's hands tighter. She knew this was going to be more painful than knowing how long she was frozen.</p><p>"Not long enough."</p><p>Constance gasped and stumbled backward. It took a Persephone a few minutes to calm her, which was when Constance noticed Will, who was still frozen in that position.</p><p>Since the boy was still wearing the full costume as The Storyteller, Constance didn't seem to recognize him at first. Then she gasped, falling backward into Persephone's arms.</p><p>"Will?"</p><p>Constance stood back up, stepping up to him, taking off the mask and hood. She laid both hands on his face, just staring intently at him for a long time without saying a word.</p><p>"What happened to him?" she seemed to sob, except that she was not capable of crying. "He died, I saw him die! Why is he here?"</p><p>Hades stepped up to her, speaking in a gentler voice than Persephone had heard. "He is like you now." Hades handed her the key. "Why don't you bring him back?"</p><p>After informing her that Will's keyhole was in his chest rather than his back, Constance carefully unbuttoned all the layers of his costume, pulling them apart to see the keyhole. Constance shook as she wound him.</p><p>Will's arms dropped after Constance had removed the key. He was off balance for a moment but regained it much faster than Constance had.</p><p>Will's face was confused at first, but once he saw Constance staring back at him, his face cleared. Persephone watched as Will pulled Constance into his arms, embracing her as Persephone knew he had longed to do for over a century.</p><p>When they eventually pulled away, Will addressed Hades and Persephone.</p><p>"Did you bring her back?"</p><p>Hades nodded, and Persephone expected him to thank them, but that didn't seem to be what Will had planned.</p><p>"You could have brought her back the whole time and you let me suffer!" Persephone stepped back in surprise. "Why did you even come here?! You lied to me! You led me to believe that you were here to help!” Will screamed, keeping himself between Constance and Hades and Persephone.</p><p>Hades took a step forward, beginning to explain, but Will cut him off.</p><p>"Get away from me!" Hades stepped back. "I don't want more of your lies," Will spat. "I never should have trusted you. Go. Go away. You're not welcome here anymore."</p><p>Then he wrapped his arm around Constance's waist and led her away. Will didn't look back, but Constance did.</p><p><em>Poor girl,</em> Persephone thought. <em>Frozen for decades and one of the first things she sees is that.</em></p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Don't Look Back</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Constance discovers that the boy she fell in love with is not the same. She can't let him make a bad choice in letting him walk away, but she can't just force him either. She doesn't know what she should do. Nothing makes sense anymore.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sorry that this one is super short!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Don't look back at them," Will softly told Constance as he led her away from the square. "They don't deserve it."</p>
<p>"They brought me back," Constance protested, continuing to look back at the two people still standing motionless in the square.</p>
<p>"After letting you stay frozen for over fifty years. They could have brought you back when they first came, but they didn't. they let you stay frozen. Tell me now that they deserve anything from us."</p>
<p>Constance looked at Will now, all the anger and hatred on his face. She had never seen anything like this with Will. He was usually so happy, so playful. What happened to the boy she knew? The boy that she had fallen in love with?</p>
<p>He wasn't the same anymore.</p>
<p>With his hand grasping hers, Will guided Constance out of the town and towards the home that used to belong to Abraham Reed. Constance recognized the path. She’d travelled it many times, always wanting to stay out in the town, but knowing that she must return anyway.</p>
<p>Now she was doing it again. Except this time, she wasn’t so sure that she had to go there. She had time, she had the chance to stay out, but now it was something else leading her back. Someone else.</p>
<p>When they were nearing the manor, Constance stopped, digging her heels into the ground. She wasn’t going to just walk away. Will stopped with her, grabbing her other hand.</p>
<p>"I'm not going to let you walk out on them," Constance said decidedly. "They were nice to me."</p>
<p>"You knew them for hardly a minute. I've known them for fifty years. Trust me on this one."</p>
<p>"I do trust you, Will, which is why I’m confused. You always know how to talk to people. You always know how to get along with them. Just ask them why they didn't wake me. Can’t you do that?”</p>
<p>“There was no reason for them to act like that. They pretended to care about me, to care about us, but they didn’t. I should have known that they were liars," he shot. "And that's all they'll ever be."</p>
<p>He took Constance's hand again, trying to lead her further away from Spindlewood, but Constance kept her feet planted. She wasn't going anywhere unless it was back to the square.</p>
<p>"Constance?" Will asked, his expression softened as he turned back to her.</p>
<p>She shook her head. "I can't go with you." She held out the key to him, but he pushed it back to her.</p>
<p>"Then go," he urged, letting go of her hand. "I can't forgive them. Take the key. I… I can't live in a world without you for any longer." He stood, watching her for a moment. Constance wanted to take it back. She wanted to forget everything and run away with him, but it wouldn’t be right. Hades and Persephone had been nice to her, and it wasn’t right to walk away from them without letting them explain, even if they had done something so terrible.</p>
<p>After a moment, Will ran off further away from the town, whispering an “I’m sorry,” Soon, he was out of sight.</p>
<p>Constance fell to the ground, clutching the key. Nothing had ever hurt so much as this, not even when Will had died. This was worse, so much worse. At that time, she knew Will loved her, and that thought had comforted her somewhat. Now, it was her fault, her fault that they were being separated again. Her fault that she might never see Will again. Her fault.</p>
<p>And it <em>hurt.</em></p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Wandering</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Will runs away from Spindlewood, wanting to get away now that he is aware that Constance will not have him as he is, but he cannot take back what he said. He cannot forgive.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Again, I don't really know how to write Hadestown characters, and once again I am very sorry.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Will didn't know where he was going anymore. He wasn't going home. He didn't belong there anymore. He was just going to wander around until he froze. He hoped that he would never be wound again. Living like this was too painful when he knew that Constance was out there, living out in the world, and he couldn't be with her. He wandered through the countryside for hours, not having a place to go and wishing that he would freeze sooner. Even after nearly two hundred years, Will had never traveled this far away from Spindlewood. It never took him long to get to the place he used to call home, but that wasn't his destination. He was headed to being frozen for all eternity.</p><p>Even after hours, he continued to get further away from Spindlewood. He found a patch of wood, entering in and only stopping when he couldn't see the sky above him.</p><p>He had been tricked into thinking that Hades and Persephone were there to help him. No one was.</p><p>
  <em>You knew it all along.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She doesn't love you.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>You're all alone. As you should be.</em>
</p><p>All the doubts he'd had were true. These ones felt no different.</p><p>But he realized, after listening closer, those voices in his head, they weren't his. They were strangers, whispering into his mind, poisoning his every thought, making him doubt everything.</p><p>"Who are you?" he asked weakly, not sure where to direct the question. When he received no answer, he repeated the question, yelling it out into the air. "Who are you?!"</p><p>He thought he heard more whispers, but he couldn't tell where they came from. It was not from his own head, but somewhere around him.</p><p>"Who are you?!" he repeated again, scanning the area over and over again to catch a glimpse of whatever had been poisoning his thoughts.</p><p>Then the whispers began to fill his head again, but this time, they weren't whispers. They were more like screams. Terrible shrieks filling his mind, deafening him without there ever being a sound, keeping him from being able to hear his own thoughts.</p><p>"GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" he screamed, dropping down to his knees.</p><p>The shrieks stopped. Will clutched his head, whimpering.</p><p>"I think that'll do," a voice spoke from above. Will wanted to look, but he couldn't uncurl himself at the moment. It was one of the voices that were in his head, but now the voice was out in the open world.</p><p>"Good work, girls," another one of the voices said. "Not long before he'll run out of time."</p><p>A third voiced was added to the mix. "Ahh, what fun! I do love to see them doubt."</p><p>The first began to speak again. "It was hardly a challenge, the boy's so insecure already. It didn't take too much to break him."</p><p>All three voices laughed together in perfect harmony.</p><p>"Should we try the girl?" the third one asked.</p><p>"She's already broken," the second laughed. "Can't you tell?"</p><p>"Yes, true," the first agreed. "Both so weak, aren't they?"</p><p>Will started to force himself to stand up while the voices were still laughing together. They were talking about Constance, deciding whether to do the same thing they did to him to her. He couldn't let that happen.</p><p>He looked up to the trees, seeing three women all dressed in grey sitting among the branches. One looked down and saw Will, who was staring up at them.</p><p>"Maybe he's stronger than we thought!" the second voice cackled.</p><p>"Times running out," the first laughed.</p><p>"Tick-tock," the third mocked.</p><p>As much as Will wanted to get revenge on those who had made him doubt himself and Constance, he knew that he didn't have time to waste. He took off back through the woods, leaving the three devilish women behind him.</p><p>He knew that he could never get back in time. His joints were starting to lock up when he was still much too far away from the town. He was still in the wood.</p><p>"Constance!" he yelled, desperately hoping that he was close enough so that she could hear but knowing all the same that she couldn't. He wasn't sure how far away he was, but he knew it was too far.</p><p>He continued to yell out her name, running towards town at top speed. He tripped on a root, standing up as quickly as he could, still hoping that he could make it.</p><p>But he couldn't.</p><p>He froze, still hidden deep in the darkness of the woods.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Way Down Hadestown</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Constance finds her way back to the square, where Persephone is waiting for her. Persephone offers Constance a place to stay, back in Hadestown with her. Constance, not seeing another option, decides to go with her.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Good news! Eurydice features in this one!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Constance found her way back to the town, clutching the key tightly and wondering how anyone had ever dealt with that kind of pain. Hades was nowhere to be found when she came out, hours later, but Persephone was.</p><p>"What did I do wrong?" Constance whimpered, letting herself fall into Persephone's open arms.</p><p>"People fight," Persephone answered, which wasn't very comforting. "People in love especially. Just because you fight doesn't mean you won't make up."</p><p>Constance pulled back from Persephone's embrace, staring down at the large key in her hand.</p><p>"I can't wind myself," she whispered, "and he doesn't have a key. We'll both end up frozen."</p><p>"Not if you come with me."</p><p>"Huh?"</p><p>"You could come with me, where there'll be someone to wind you, and you can stay with me until you're ready to come back."</p><p>Persephone held out her hand as an invitation.</p><p>Constance glanced back at the open countryside then down at the key in her hand, then back at Persephone.</p><p>She took Persephone's offered hand and let herself be led away from the only place she’d ever known.</p><p>The town had quite a surprise when the sun rose, and the streets started to be filled. They soon went back to normal, even without their most treasured their tradition. No one ever traveled far enough from town to find Will.</p><p>Constance stayed with Hades and Persephone for years. She was almost always with Persephone, choosing to spend the spring and summer with Persephone and her mother then back with Hades in Hadestown.</p><p>She didn't understand why he had a town named after him.</p><p>During the fall and winter, Hades had told her stories about what Hadestown used to be. He told her about how it wasn't always such a great place, and that he and Persephone hadn't always got along as they did now. They had a time when everything wasn't as great as Constance knew it.</p><p>Then a boy came, his love reminding them of their own. He bargained for one of the workers in Hadestown, but he was not able to win. Now, no one knew where the boy had gone, but the worker was still there, in Hadestown.</p><p>Her name was Eurydice. She was really pretty, with copper skin and short, dark hair. She and Constance became close through the few years that Constance stayed there. Eurydice was very friendly to Constance. She was the closest friend that Constance had since Amelia. Sometimes, Constance would suddenly remember something from before she was frozen, and she would be unable to think because of the pain the memories brought. Eurydice helped her through those times. In turn, Constance helped Eurydice when she thought of her lover, Orpheus, who had been lost to the world in trying to rescue Eurydice from Hadestown.</p><p>One day, after a few years, Eurydice asked Constance about her life before she was frozen, and not about Amelia or Abraham. She asked about Will, who Constance had been trying to avoid thinking about.</p><p>"You said he was made to be like you," Eurydice said. "Where is he?"</p><p>"We… we had a fight," Constance sighed. "It had something to do with how I came back after being frozen. Hades and Persephone, they brought me back, but Will got angry at them. I think it was because they didn't bring me back at first. Will…" she hesitated. "He… he wasn't like himself. He wanted me to come with him, but I couldn't. So I came with Persephone instead." She pulled the key out of her dress pocket. "He's been frozen since then. There's only one key."</p><p>Eurydice looked intently at Constance.</p><p>"So you're going to let a fight like that get in the way of your love?" she asked.</p><p>Constance shrugged, slipping the key back into her pocket. "I don't know what else to do."</p><p>Eurydice took Constance by her shoulders, saying, "If there's one thing I know, it's that you can't let anything get in between you and your love. I did and look what happened to me. Go to him and find a way to fix what is breaking you apart. I'm not going to let you make the same mistake as I did."</p><p>Constance only needed a moment to consider. She nodded. "I will. Thank you, Eurydice. I'll never forget you!" She started to run off to Hades's office.</p><p>"No problem, Constance," Eurydice laughed as she watched Constance dash off.</p><p>Constance—as much as she wanted to just barge into the office, knew it wasn't appropriate and knocked instead. Hades opened the door, somewhat surprised to see Constance there.</p><p>"I need to get back to Spindlewood," she said decidedly.</p><p>Hades brought her inside, urging her to sit, but Constance wasn't going to. She was in too much of a hurry. It had been too long already.</p><p>"You have to understand that it will take too long to get there," Hades warned her. "And we cannot yet travel with you."</p><p>"I can make it," Constance said decidedly.</p><p>"I'm certain you could if you had someone to wind you."</p><p>Constance's shoulders slumped.</p><p>"So I can't go back?"</p><p>Hades shook his head. "Not yet, but it is nearly time for spring. You and Persephone can go when it is time."</p><p>Constance nodded. It was the best option, even if she had to wait a few days.</p><p>Soon, she’d finally be able to make things right.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. The Train</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Constance worries about what might happen when she returns to Spindlewood. She wonders if Will would still love her, after everything that happened, but Persephone helps to ease her worries.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When it was time for spring, Persephone and Constance rode on the train. Constance could hardly sit still. She was twitching whenever she wasn't pacing and pacing whenever she wasn't able to sit down for any longer.</p>
<p>Persephone was highly amused by it all.</p>
<p>"Be calm, my dear," Persephone urged comfortingly. "We'll find him, and you can make up."</p>
<p>"What if we can't, though? What if he still can't forgive you and we still fight, and I lose him forever?"</p>
<p>"Let me ask you something, Constance." Constance sat down across from Persephone. "What did you think happened before you were frozen?"</p>
<p>Constance had to strain to remember. That was a difficult time; everything kind of blurred together into one giant mess.</p>
<p>"Will was shot and he died. I knew he was gone, so I let them shoot me. I thought that if Will wasn't there anymore, then I don't want to be there anymore."</p>
<p>"What about before he was shot? Like when he first found out what you really were?"</p>
<p>"…He… he looked really sad. Betrayed, I think is the word. He didn't trust me anymore."</p>
<p>"And he still came back?"</p>
<p>Constance nodded. "He still came back, because he still loved me."</p>
<p>"And did you ever stop loving him?"</p>
<p>Constance shook her head vigorously. "I could never. I love him."</p>
<p>Persephone nodded. "Then you will make up."</p>
<p>Constance opened her mouth to protest, but Persephone would not hear of it.</p>
<p>"Even the worst of fights will end, my dear."</p>
<p>Constance still turned back to her pacing and twitching while Persephone opened a bottle of wine.</p>
<p>Eventually, the two of them made it to Spindlewood. The town was busier than Constance had ever seen it. She hadn't been able to see the town clearly since before she was frozen since it was in the middle of the night. She saw Abraham's large, dark house, the manor, on the edge of town. Will had tried to take her back there before.</p>
<p>There were whispers all around them as Constance walked through the square. Some of the towns seemed to recognize her from when she was the statue. No one went up and talked to her though, which Constance was grateful for. She didn't want to waste time talking to people—which she usually enjoyed—when she had to find Will.</p>
<p>They made it to where Will and Constance had separated. Persephone urged Constance to go after winding her, just to be safe.</p>
<p>"I'll be out here if you need me."</p>
<p>Constance looked back at the town, then forward into the countryside. She plunged forward without a second thought.</p>
<p>Constance wanted to call out his name, but it would do no good. He wouldn't be able to hear.</p>
<p>She looked around for hours, but still no sign of him, just going straight. She was starting to worry that she would run out of time, but she couldn't think about that yet. She still had time, and she was going to use it.</p>
<p>She found a wood, far enough away from town, following some sort of strange feeling into it. Maybe he would be there.</p>
<p><em>Poor girl, wandering around, completely helpless,</em> a voice spoke into her mind.</p>
<p><em>Such a shame, you know, that she'll never find him in time,</em> added a second.</p>
<p><em>If only there was someone to help her, </em>laughed a third.</p>
<p>Constance frantically looked around, trying to find the owners of the voices, but no one was there.</p>
<p>"I know you're out there," she called, trying to sound much braver than she felt. "Show yourselves!"</p>
<p>There was only laughing, but it wasn't in her mind this time. Constance closed her eyes, listening to where the laughter came from. She heard it from behind her, from above her, from all around. These weren't normal voices. They were almost… ethereal.</p>
<p>Was that the word? It could be. Constance could hardly keep track of all the words anymore.</p>
<p>Constance looked behind her, nothing. She looked to either side, nothing. Nothing in front of her either. She looked up and saw three women all dressed in grey laughing amongst the branches.</p>
<p>"Where is he?" Constance asked them.</p>
<p>The three women looked down at her, none answering her question.</p>
<p>"Where is Will?" Constance repeated, louder. "Where is he?"</p>
<p>"Now why do you care?"</p>
<p>"He doesn't care for you."</p>
<p>"If he really did, why did he leave?"</p>
<p>Constance looked back down at the ground. This couldn't be true, could it? Who were these women, and how did they know if Will really did care for her?</p>
<p>They were lying, weren't they? Will did care for her, he said so many times that he loved her, said that he couldn't live without her. That meant he loved her, right?</p>
<p>Why were feelings to <em>hard?</em></p>
<p>Constance asked them again where Will was, but they refused to tell her. She then decided to leave them, since her time was running out. She started out to search again.</p>
<p>Still, nothing, no trace of him, and her time was running out fast. She still had maybe an hour, so she decided to start heading back out of the woods to get Persephone to wind her again.</p>
<p>She had to move fast, though, otherwise, she'd be frozen, and they would both be stuck in that position forever.</p>
<p>The women seemed to be following her, still whispering doubts into her mind, but Constance ignored them. She was convinced that they lied. Will did love her. He said so himself.</p>
<p>The whispers got more frantic the further out of the wood Constance got. She wasn't sure why, only that it was becoming harder to ignore them.</p>
<p>Then she tripped on a root jutting out from the ground. She didn't fall to the ground, barely managing to balance herself in time. The whispers suddenly stopped.</p>
<p>She looked ahead. Constance could barely make out a frozen figure a few steps in front of her.</p>
<p>Will.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>We're almost there!!!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Reunion</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Constance finds Will hidden away from Spindlewood, stopped mid-run, just as she was running out of time.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Constance ran the short distance to him, pulling the key out of her dress pocket as she reached him. She pulled apart his shirt, pushing the key into the keyhole in his chest and turning it.</p><p>Will fell directly on top of her, but Constance didn't care. She wrapped her arms around his neck, never wanting to let go.</p><p>"Constance," he whispered in disbelief. "I'm sorry, I—"</p><p>"Shh," Constance hushed. "I don't care, I love you, Will."</p><p>Will tried to push himself off of her, but Constance just held onto him.</p><p>"I love you, Constance," he breathed.</p><p>Constance just buried her face in his neck. It was only when it could be put off no longer that she asked, "Could you wind me, please?"</p><p>He took the key from her hand—Constance reluctantly let go of him—and he wound her. The moment that needing to be wound was no longer something to worry about, Constance wrapped her arms around him again.</p><p>"Constance, we have to talk," Will insisted.</p><p>"Not yet," she whined. She had made a mistake that led to years apart, and she wanted to make up for those years.</p><p>"I have to apologize for everything I did wrong," Will said, taking Constance's arms off from around his neck and stepping back. "I wasn't myself, but that's no excuse. I behaved like a child, I never should have gotten so angry. It was no one's fault but my own."</p><p>Constance shook her head. "It wasn't your fault, Will."</p><p>"Yes, it was, Constance. I—"</p><p>"It was those women. I heard them. They corrupted you and tried to do the same to me!"</p><p>Will glared in the direction that Constance had come from. He looked ready to do something brash. Constance held him back.</p><p>"They lie, Will. They said you didn't love me, but that's a lie."</p><p>"I know that they’re liars now, I just wish I had known it then," Will said sadly.</p><p>"It doesn't matter," Constance insisted. "It doesn't matter, because we're both here now and we can always be together. Can't we?"</p><p>"Of course we can, of course we can always be together," Will agreed. "I just need to make some things right."</p><p>Constance knew what he meant. She nodded, taking his hand and entwining their fingers.</p><p>"Persephone came with me, but Hades is still back in Hadestown," Constance told him. "I stayed with them, for the whole time."</p><p>"How long was that?" Will asked as they started to make their way back to the town.</p><p>Constance thought for a minute. "Eleven years?”</p><p>Will's eyes widened for a moment, but then shrugged it off. "Could be worse."</p><p>"Could have been better."</p><p>Will nodded. "Just think, if I hadn't been so stupid I could have been holding you all that time."</p><p>"But you weren't being stupid," Constance protested. "You were being manipulated."</p><p>"Since when do you know words like that?" He grinned at her.</p><p>Constance laughed. She loved seeing him smile. "I know more than that."</p><p>They walked together out of the woods and back to the town. Hades had actually arrived during the time they were in the woods. Will apologized to both of them. They left soon after, and Constance had Will all to herself.</p><p>"You're dirty," she pointed out. It was pretty obvious now that they were in the light.</p><p>"What do you expect? I was in the frozen in the woods for a decade.”</p><p>"I guess that’s true.”</p><p>Will wrapped his arm around Constance's waist. "I have something I want to show you."</p><p>"Lead the way."</p><p>Will led her back out of town, but not nearly so far. Something seemed vaguely familiar about the path, but Constance couldn't quite remember.</p><p>When they entered a grassy area by the bank of the brook, she realized.</p><p>This was it. The place that Will had shown her that first night that they met. It was almost the same as it was before. It was certainly just as beautiful.</p><p>Constance walked into the clearing, walking towards the brook. It's clear water, constantly flowing past was always beautiful, but especially so at night.</p><p>"I tried to keep it the same, so you'd have a place to come home to, besides Abraham's manor," Will told her as he stepped up to her again. "Course, I couldn't have done it for the past little while."</p><p>"It's beautiful," Constance breathed. She walked all the way to the small beach, Will started to follow her, but she pushed him away, towards the manor. You go get cleaned up. I'll be out here."</p><p>Will reluctantly did as she told him, dashing towards the house as Constance sat down next to the brook, slipping off her shoes and dipping her feet into the water.</p><p>Nothing had ever felt so… right. She was in Spindlewood, where she belonged, in the most beautiful part of the down, and Will was just inside. Everything was perfect. There was only one thing missing.</p><p>Well, a few things.</p><p>Constance missed Amelia. She had never even gotten to say goodbye to her best friend. And Abraham. They argued, a lot before she was shot. Constance wished that she could make things right between them, but it was too late. Abraham was gone, and she'd likely never see him again. She'd likely never see anyone she knew ever again, except for Will. He was the only one.</p><p>Constance was deep in thought when Will came out and joined her, sitting down beside her and wrapping his arm around her as she leaned into him. The sun was beginning to set, which was probably the most beautiful part of any day.</p><p>"Deja-vu, isn't it?" Will eventually said.</p><p>"Huh?" Constance asked, sitting up to look at him.</p><p>"Deja-vu," Will repeated. "It's a word for when you feel like you've seen something before. Like this isn't the first night we spent together in this spot."</p><p>"But so much has changed since then."</p><p>Will nodded. "It has, but we're the same."</p><p>"No, we're not, Will. We've changed. You're not the same boy that I first fell in love with.” His face seemed to fall for a moment. “Change isn't always a bad thing, right? Change can be good, can't it?"</p><p>"Of course change can be a good thing," Will agreed, smiling again. It was good to see him smile. "I may not be the same Will you knew, but I'm still William Riley.”</p><p>"And I'm still Constance Reed," Constance mumbled. She hadn't used that last name before, but it sounded right. Like it was meant to belong to her. Abraham was her father. She knew that now. He’d done a lot of things, and a lot of them weren’t very good things. She couldn’t forget what he’d done, what he’d kept from her, but she realized why. She realized that he did it because he cared for her.</p><p>Will nodded, smiling. "We’ve changed, but we're the same, deep down, and that's what matters."</p><p>Constance leaned against him again. No comfort could compare to what Constance was feeling. She knew she was loved. She knew that she was where she belonged.</p><p>With him.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Yay!! Happiness!! (I try so hard but I'm not very good at writing fluff. I should just stick to angst)<br/>If anyone wants me to try making this a series or something with other immortal characters from other musicals, I'd be happy to try. I currently have a list of a few that I don't know as well that could work. (My only qualifications is that the characters have to be immortal, for this series at least, and that they have to be from a musical I've listened to)<br/>I'd probably make it centered around Will and Constance, like this one was.<br/>Also, if you find any grammar/spelling mistakes, let me know! I'm fairly sure I caught most but there could still be something.</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Kudos/comments appreciated, just please don't swear in the comments</p></blockquote></div></div>
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